1. Field of the Invention
The present invention provides a golf swing training device comprising a shaft with a grip at one end and a club head at the other end of the shaft with a cup attached to the face of said club head with the cup opening on the front towards the intended target. The bore of the cup conforms substantially to the diameter of the ball. In use, a ball is placed in the cup with the intention of releasing the ball from the cup at a desired point during the swing at a target.
In practice, if during the back swing the cup is incorrectly tilted, due to poor swing mechanics, the ball will fall out. Also, if the bore of the cup is not in alignment with the target line at the ball's point of release the ball trajectory will be skewed from the target.
The present invention provides a golf swing training device that helps the golfer develop a back swing along the correct swing plane, at a slow pace, while rotating the hands properly thus keeping the ball from falling out of the cup.
The present invention provides a golf swing training device that promotes the correct extension and rotation of the hands along the target line, during the down swing, leading to a proper finish.
If the down swing is done correctly the ball will leave the cup at the bottom of the swing and fly directly down the target line in a manner that is predictable and repeatable. Any swing other than a correct swing will cause the ball to go left, right, lower or higher of the target line.
As an additional element the cup can have a circumferential ridge on the interior to impede the ball from easily falling out and the cup can be removably attached to the club head.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other golf club devices designed for training. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 2,057,821 issued to Costello on Oct. 20, 1936.
Another patent was issued to Costello on Oct. 5, 1937 as U.S. Pat. No. 2,094,766. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 2,621,044 was issued to Sloan on Dec. 9, 1952 and still yet another was issued on Mar. 24, 1964 to Sabia as U.S. Pat. No. 3,126,206.
Another patent was issued to Swan on Jul. 13, 1965 as U.S. Pat. No. 3,194,564. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 4,139,198 was issued to Kanavas on Feb. 13, 1979. Another was issued to Faust on Oct. 31, 1989 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,251 and still yet another was issued on Oct. 16, 1990 to Colucci as U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,927.
Another patent was issued to Watkins on Apr. 30, 1991 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,153. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,962 was issued to Lin on Oct. 4, 1994. Still yet another patent was issued on Oct. 15, 2002 to Belding as U.S. Pat. No. 6,464,594. Another was issued to Jenkinson on Jun. 23, 1971 as U.K. Patent No. GB1236982 and still yet another was issued on Sep. 5, 1994 to Iriarte, et al. as Canadian Patent No. CA 2,116,891.